Fungus on the feet is a common name for several types of dermatomycosis, which differ in location and type of fungus. There are four main groups of athlete's foot:
- skin of interdigital spaces;
- fingers;
- toenails (onychomycosis);
- skin of the lower extremities.
What is athlete's foot?
If the statistics are to be believed, in our country foot fungus is diagnosed in almost twenty percent of the population. Fungal infections live freely in the environment, and sometimes we don't even suspect that we can be carriers of the disease.
Under certain favorable conditions, some of the nearly five hundred species of fungi that exist in nature experience a "revival moment. " They multiply rapidly, forming numerous colonies and spreading spores to new areas of the skin.
The waste products of fungi are toxic. As a result of intoxication, the whole body as a whole can suffer.
Mycosis of the feet is caused by microscopic fungi:
- dermatophytes;
- yeast;
- moldy;
- candida.
Prerequisites for the appearance of foot fungus:
- visiting a swimming pool, sauna, bathroom, gym, anywhere where you have to move barefoot, and there is a risk of illness during work;
- using other people's shoes;
- dermatological diseases (neurodermatitis, psoriasis, eczema);
- organic chronic diseases;
- diabetes mellitus (diabetic foot) and other endocrine disorders;
- flat feet with big toe deformity;
- increased sweating of the skin of the feet (hyperhidrosis);
- reduced body defense power, especially in people with nail fungus (onychomycosis);
- uncontrolled use of antibiotics, hormones and anti-allergic drugs;
- injuries to the skin of the feet in the form of cracks, corns and calluses.
What does foot fungus look like?
The disease manifests itself depending on the type of fungus that "infected" the skin of the feet and the exact location where it is located.
Very often, the symptoms of the disease (flaking, layering of scales, severe itching) occur with the addition of an inflammatory process due to scratching.
Fungal infection of the skin and nails of the feet has two forms - acute and chronic. In the acute form, recovery usually occurs within a few days (taking into account the adequacy of the prescribed drugs). The chronic form is not completely cured, relapses and remissions alternate. Her treatment is aimed at alleviating the symptoms of the disease.
Important! As soon as you suspect the first signs of foot fungus, run to the doctor! Do not self-medicate, delay the spread of infection. The longer you delay seeing a specialist, the longer the treatment will take.
Fungus on the feet between the toes
The infection, as a rule, first affects the interdigital folds (especially the most severe among them - between the third and fourth toes).
Signs of interdigital foot fungus:
- thickened skin is dry;
- furrows and even blisters form;
- the skin of the feet cracks and peels;
- pain and debilitating itching appear.
It happens that the fungus is hidden and manifests itself only by the formation of small cracks between the fingers, slight peeling and slight itching. The patient does not ask for help from the doctor for a long time, and only when crying appears, the patient starts to worry.
The exudative (wet) form of foot fungus is:
- intertriginous, which appear as diaper rash;
- dyshidrotic - with the appearance of blisters;
- mixed - intergynous-dyshidrotic.
Vesicular foot fungus or dyshidrotic mycosis is considered the most dangerous form of fungal infection.
It is characterized by the formation of painful vesicles (large blisters) that coalesce to form large, erosive areas without any skin covering. As it develops, erosion is constantly increasing in volume. The fluid inside the blisters is highly contagious. You can infect all family members with it at once.
The foot, practically without skin, also risks to "catch" a severe purulent infection. Recovery takes at least three to four months. The place of localization is usually the skin of the puncture of the foot, somewhat less often - the skin between the toes, and even less often - the skin on the surface of the heel.
Toe fungus
Untreated fungus "crawls" from the interdigital space to the nearest fingers. In principle, all the symptoms characteristic of a mycotic infection of the interdigital folds are also inherent in the skin of the toes - severe itching, etc. They cause a lot of inconvenience.
As a result of endless scratching, the skin of the fingers thickens, becomes inflamed and turns bright red. Persistent swelling, pustules and blisters appear. A pustular rash usually occurs as a result of a bacterial infection.
Almost always, the process that occurs on the skin of the fingers or between them spreads to the nails.
Onychomycosis or nail fungus
The main cause of the disease is dermatophytes, and the smallest are fungi from the Candida genus. The appearance of the nail and the feelings of onychomycosis are not very pleasant.
Signs of the disease:
- deformation and separation of the nail;
- pain when walking;
- the appearance of cloudiness and a yellowish tint on the nail;
- significant thickening of the nail plate;
- nail destruction.
Important! Onychomycosis contributes to the transition of any fungal disease into a chronic form. Do not delay the visit to the doctor, because fungal spores can spread further to the extremities: legs, thighs, and even the buttocks, abdomen and chest.
Fungus on the feet: causes and symptoms of the disease in children
Fungi appear on children's feet for several reasons:
- endocrine disorders;
- uncomfortable fake leather shoes that don't fit;
- irregular work of the gastrointestinal tract;
- dirty, uncut toenails;
- neglecting the rules of personal hygiene when visiting bathrooms and gyms;
- flat feet.
Fungi most often affect children's skin in the spaces between the toes. Symptoms: peeling, thickening of the nail plate tissue, severe itching. Small erosions and ulcers appear, inflammation of the skin of the feet.
Diagnosis of foot mycosis
Correct treatment of foot mycosis, as well as its diagnosis, can only be carried out by a dermatologist.
What should a doctor do when diagnosing foot fungus:
- detailed examination of the patient's foot;
- collection of anamnesis (a survey is conducted on disease symptoms, as well as the presence or absence of chronic diseases, heredity);
- scraping from the affected skin or cutting off a piece of the deformed nail;
- a special test to confirm the presence of a fungal infection in the body as a whole;
- sowing material on nutrient medium (if necessary);
- skin biopsy (a small piece of affected skin is cut off) for examination under a microscope (performed in exceptional cases);
- General and biochemical blood test.
To get tested properly you need:
- do not use antifungal agents without a doctor's prescription;
- do not treat the affected skin with anything for at least three days before the test;
- It is recommended to use only baby soap without additives;
- do not perform nail removal manipulations for a week;
- do not take medication;
- if possible, do not smoke;
- Do not drink coffee, lemonade or alcohol before the blood test.
How and with what to treat foot mycosis
The treatment prescribed by the doctor is usually complex and consists of tablets and local products (creams, ointments, sprays). Treatment of foot fungus with folk remedies should not be neglected. They will be able to speed up the healing process of the lesions. It is impossible to list one effective drug that can be used for foot fungus, because during treatment it is important to achieve an antimycotic effect, eliminate accompanying pathologies and improve blood supply to the feet.
An excellent therapeutic effect has:
- A broad-spectrum antifungal is an excellent remedy for athlete's foot. It is the basis for many antifungal drugs. For local use only. Effective as ointment, cream, lotion, aerosol. The ointment should be applied in a thin layer on clean and dry soles three times a day. It is better to use it a month or two after the treatment.
- Product (lotion) for restoring and protecting the nail plate in case of fungal infection. This spray has been shown to be effective against foot fungus. It mainly serves to prevent fungal diseases. It contains undecylenic acid, which creates immunity against fungal nail diseases. The spray is very easy to apply. It is used on the inner surface of shoes to disinfect them. But a patient with onychomycosis should still be treated not only with this, but also with other antimycotic drugs.
- Antifungal drug for systemic use."To the ground" kills fungi of all kinds. It is used in the form of tablets, cream, spray and solution for oral administration. For adults, tablets are prescribed for two weeks, taken twice a day. Anti-fungal cream on the skin of the feet is rubbed into damaged areastwice a day. The duration of therapy can be from a week to a month and a half.
- Antifungal antibiotic. The drug inhibits the proliferation of fungi. Available as tablets, oral suspension and ointment. The ointment is indicated for use only in cases where the nail is not affected by Candida fungi.Tablets are taken for three months. The first month - once a day, the second and third - every other day. The dose is prescribed by the doctor. The medicine stops when healthy nails grow back.
- Antimycotic drug. It has a high level of activity against all groups of mycotic organisms that can cause foot fungus. It is available in suppositories and tablets, but is used to treat yeast infections of the intestines and female genital organs. It is recommended to apply the ointment once or twice a day for up to a month.
How to treat foot fungus at home
It is possible and necessary to treat a fungal "infection" at home, but only after consulting a doctor and taking with you the results of tests and an individually selected set of special drugs. Traditional medicine also treats foot fungus, but it is usually used only as an additional treatment:
Baking soda is used for foot fungus as an emollient (for nail inflammation). Put your feet in a soda solution (prepared in the amount of one teaspoon per liter of warm water) for 7-9 minutes. From the cotton pad, we form a plate that corresponds to the size of the nail. Soak a cotton pad in a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution and place it on the soft nail. Wrap the compress in transparent foil or put it on the tip of your finger. Keep the cotton swab on the nail for 45-60 minutes. We repeat the manipulation twice a day. If a burning sensation occurs, rinse the finger with water. You will see the effectiveness of the procedure within four days.
Treating foot fungus with wine vinegar is a simple and inexpensive remedy. At night, wash your feet with warm water without soap and put them in a basin with a strong solution of wine vinegar. After five minutes, wipe your feet and put on socks that were previously soaked in this solution. The procedure has a disinfecting effect. A simple recipe for treatment at home is a bath with instant coffee. Brew strong coffee in the required amount of water. The drink is left to cool a little and the feet are steamed in it. Regularly - twice a day - the unpleasant smell from the feet is eliminated and mycosis is "thrown out".
Rules for taking care of personal belongings during illness:
- slippers must have a closed toe and heel;
- you cannot walk barefoot;
- shoes should be treated with antifungal agents twice a day, for example: 40 percent acetic acid solution;
- wash personal items separately from others;
- After use, wash bathtubs, sinks, shower cabins with disinfectant solutions;
- Daily wet cleaning of the apartment and airing of the room are necessary;
- daily change of socks;
- After recovery, get rid of old underwear, shoes and medicines.
Prevention of foot and nail fungus
The answers to the question "How not to get sick? " are simple:
- maintain personal hygiene;
- follow a dairy-vegetable diet, eat more vegetables and fruits;
- give up bad habits;
- control your emotional state, beware of stress;
- engage in physical education and sports in the fresh air.